1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to work pants that includes pockets within the knee area of the pants with a cushioning pad to be locatable within each knee pocket for providing comfort and injury protection for the user""s knees when performing of work which requires kneeling on a hard surface.
2. Description of the Related Art
Work pants that include padded knee sections have long been used by workers to cushion and protect their knees when kneeling. Carpenters, roofers, floor installers and gardeners spend considerable time in a kneeling position, and for purposes of comfort and to prevent injury, require a cushioning protection for the user""s knees. Without such protection, such tradesmen often find themselves unable to continue with the kneeling position over an extended length of time. For example, floor installers may be on their knees almost an entire day. The use of a cushioning pad in conjunction with the work pants of a floor installer is an absolute requirement.
While prior art knee pad arrangements in conjunction with work pants generally perform in a satisfactory manner, many of the constructions of the prior art are bulky, uncomfortable, inconvenient to use and substantially detract from the appearance of the work pant. It is common in conjunction with work pants that a knee pad mounted within a knee pocket may tend to move in conjunction with the knee pocket during usage. In some prior art constructions, the knee pad can actually move sufficiently so as to be partially ejected from the knee pocket. This requires the user to be constantly readjusting the pad so that the knee pad is placed within its proper position within the knee pocket. It would be desirable to design some type of structure where the position of the cushioning pad within the knee pocket is maintained without any possibility of ejection or partial ejection of the cushioning pad from the knee pocket as the work pant and knee pad are being used.
A first basic embodiment of the present invention comprises a pair of pants where at least one pant leg of the pants includes a knee pocket. The knee pocket is defined as comprising a substantially a rectangularly shaped cavity that has a width that extends crosswise to the longitudinal dimension of the pant leg. An access opening is formed in the pant leg with the access opening providing access into the knee pocket. The access opening has a length which is shorter than the width of the knee pocket.
A further embodiment of this invention is where the first basic embodiment includes a releasable securement connected to the cushioning pad with this releasable securement also being mounted on the pant leg.
A further embodiment of this invention is where the releasable securement comprises a button and a strap.
A further embodiment of this invention is where the releasable securement comprises a buckle and a strap.
A further embodiment of this invention is where the pant leg in the area of the knee pocket is covered by a covering sheet with this covering sheet including a series of folds to allow for expansion when a user kneels on the knee pocket.
A second basic embodiment of the present invention comprises a pair of pants with the pants having at least one pant leg and the pant having a knee pocket. The knee pocket defining a substantially rectangular shaped cavity having a width substantially crosswise to the longitudinal dimension of the pant leg. An access opening is formed in the pant leg with the access opening providing access into the knee pocket. The access opening designed to connect with the cushioning pad which is to be inserted through the access opening to be located within the knee pocket. A releasable securement is connected to the cushioning pad with this releasable securement being mounted on the pant leg.
A further embodiment of this invention is where the second basic embodiment is modified so that the releasable securement comprises a button and a strap.
A further embodiment of this invention is where the second basic embodiment is modified to where the releasable securement includes a buckle and a strap.
A further embodiment of this invention is where there is placed on the work pant covering the knee pocket a covering sheet which includes a series of folds to allow for expansion when a user kneels.